September 30, 2016 - Alan T.N. Tita, MD, PhD, professor in the UAB Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Center fro the Women's Reproductive Health is prinicipal invesitgator for a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the study physicians have discovered that administering the antibiotic azithromycin alongside the standard recommended antibiotic regimen reduces infection rates by 50 percent for women who have a non-elective cesarean delivery. Read the full article here . . . .

September 23, 2016 - UAB is part of the ECHO Pediatric Cohort Program called “Exposure Contributors to Child Health Originating from National Fetal Growth Study,” led by principal investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and Columbia University, New York. Joseph Biggio, M.D., director of the UAB Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and ECHO participant says, “The ECHO study provides us with an opportunity to examine childhood outcomes in a group of children whose mothers were followed closely during pregnancy with careful attention to exposures, pregnancy events and fetal growth — all of which may help provide insight into long-term health outcomes.” Read the full article here . . .

July 13, 2016 - Interim team named to lead Admissions office; National search underway for new associate dean

Three leaders in the UAB School of Medicine have been tapped as interim leadership for the school’s Admissions Office, effective Aug. 1

John Woods, M.D., assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of OB/Gyn Simulation; Shawn Galin, Ph.D., associate professor of Medicine and director of the Clinical Skills Center; and Lanita Carter, Ph.D., assistant professor of Medical Education and director of the Office of Medical Education and Student Services at the Huntsville Regional Medical Campus, will guide the admissions process through the duration of a national search to secure a new associate dean for admissions. Nathan Smith, M.D., who led the admissions office for 15 years as assistant dean, will retire from the role on July 31. Read more . . .

April 22, 2016 - Consumer Reports recognized the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital as having one of the lowest rates of cesarean-section births to first-time, low-risk mothers. The Department of Health and Human Services recommend that c-section births account for no more than 23.9 percent of births to first-time, low-risk mothers. UAB Hospital's rate is 15, earning it a top score from Consumer Reports among the largest hospitals in the country that reported their c-section rates.

April 7, 2016 - Amber Ertley and Levi Nelson already had two healthy girls when they found out she was pregnant again. During a routine ultrasound Amber discovered that she was pregnant with triplets:

"The Nelson triplets were all girls who shared the same amniotic sac and placenta, which meant they were identical. Identical triplets are extremely rare and form when a single fertilized egg splits two times. At least one study puts the odds of identical triplets at one in 20 million births." - AL.com

Three healthy girls and one healthy mom make for a happy story in this UAB Medicine Women & Infants Center delivery! Read more here . . .

Jessica Sparks asked many questions when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 at age 31: Would she survive? Would she need a mastectomy — would it be one breast or both? Would she ever marry? Would she be able to have a child of her own?

All of those questions were answered at the University of Alabama at Birmingham— except the marriage question; that was answered by Will Sparks.

Jessica would depend on science, research and the expertise of a team of UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center physicians to guide her down the right path for treatment. The UAB Breast Health Center referred her to UAB’s Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Clinic team, which offered cutting-edge treatments to keep alive her hope of having a baby if she survived cancer.

With the help of UAB Department of Ob/Gyn Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology, G. Wright Bates, M.D., and his team find out the outcome . . .

Treatment with clomiphene, a standard therapy for couples with unexplained infertility, results in more live births than treatment with a potential alternative, letrozole, according to a landmark study of more than 900 couples conducted by a National Institutes of Health research network, which included the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine’s Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. G. Wright Bates, M.D., professor of Reproductive Endocrinology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and principal investigator for the UAB site, one of 12 locations around the country.

Ob/Gyn resident Danny Pasko chosen for inaugural year of new Chief Quality Resident Program (CQRP) that exposes participants to relevant concepts and prepares them for potential leadership positions. Read more in UAB's One . . . .

Principal invesitgator, Kerri Bevis, M.D., and assistant professor in the Department of Ob/Gyn Division of Gynecological Oncology, says that the impetus for the study is that women with endometrial cancer also often experience pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence and prolapse. In most cases, the surgeries to remove the cancer and to correct the pelvic floor disorders are performed months or even years apart. The grant will give Bevis and others at UAB an opportunity to develop protocols where both issues can be surgically managed simultaneously. Read more in UAB eReporter . . .

Baby JJ was born to Crystal and James Burford this past week at UAB. He has hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, a rare condition that will require several surgeries to correct — the first in his first week of life. Treatments include three major surgeries — the first occurring within one week of birth. A successful first surgery is better ensured by bringing the baby as close to a full 40-week term pregnancy as possible, says UAB Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician Richard Davis, M.D. Read more in UAB eReporter . . .

UAB Medicine received a 2015 Women's Choice Award, having been named one of "America's Best Hospitals for Obstetrics". The honor was based on a review of services, patient satisfaction scores, and a strong record of clinical care and full-term deliveries.

Women's Choice Award is a consumer advocacy group that helps women make smart health care decisions. This marks the third year that the group has presented the award to the nation's leading obstetrics programs. UAB Obstetrics has earned this recognition for each of those three years, in the category for hospitals with 400-plus beds. Read more in ONE . . .

The Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy Project (CHAP) is a multicenter, randomized trial which will enroll between 4,700 and 5,700 pregnant women during the next six years with a primary aim to evaluate the benefits and potential harms of pharmacologic treatment of mild chronic hypertension in pregnancy. Alan Tita, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in UAB’s School of Medicine is principal investigator/project director for CHAP. UAB Media Contact: Tyler Greer | tgreer@uab.edu

UAB has enrolled the first U.S. patient in a Phase III clinical trial for a drug that, if successful, would be a significant clinical breakthrough for reducing pre-term births and infant mortality. Alan Tita, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology is lead investigator for the trial.

The editorial team at Becker's Hospital Review included hospitals on its list based on the comprehensiveness of their women's health programs and the quality of care they offer. Hospitals included on the list have been recognized for women's health by several organizations, including U.S.News & World Report, Healthgrades, UNICEF's Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and CareChex.

UAB Hospital is the only hospital in central and north Alabama to participate in Best Fed Beginnings. Also, together with Children's Hospital of Alabama, UAB's Regional NICU is Alabama's only Level IV Unit, and the connecting sky bridge between the two entities provides a seamless transition for babies who require advanced inpatient care at both locations. UAB neonatologists are available in-house 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Read more in ONE . . .

Health professionals across campus, including 14 from the School of Medicine and UAB Hospital, completed an extensive week-long course in medical simulation training — a first step toward building a world-class program at UAB. The Department of Ob/Gyn's faculty member, Chere' Stewart, MD, who is also the Associate Director for the Ob/Gyn Medical Student Clerkship, was a participate in this program.

July 2012 - Spirit of Alabama - Dr. Huh, Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Senior Scientist at UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center has recently been in the spotlight of a local television station. NBC 13 News showcased Dr. Huh and his cutting-edge work in cancer research in their section called, Spirit of Alabama. "Though 4 or 5 years away from actual use, Dr. Huh has developed a HPV virus vaccine that, once approved, could eliminate cervical cancer."

May 2012 - Huh Receives Distinguished 2012 ACS Lane Adams Quality of Life Award - Dr. Huh has been named a recipient of the American Cancer Society 2012 Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award. He is one of 11 cancer-care providers nationwide who will be honored in a ceremony on Thursday, May 3, 2012, during the ACS annual board meeting in Dallas.

The award recognizes individuals who have made a difference through innovation, leadership and consistent excellence in providing compassionate, skilled care and counsel to persons living with cancer and their families. Recipients are nominated by patients and their families, shedding light on the critical role that outstanding caregivers play in the healing process. UAB News Media Contact: Beena Thannickal, (205) 975-3967, beenat@uab.edu

The SGS is recognized as a select member group of over 250 physicians representing both private practice and academic faculty--all involved in teaching and the practice of advanced gynecologic surgery. Scientific Meetings are held annually with presentations and discussions of papers based on research in anatomy, physiology, pathology, surgical technique, or clinical results of gynecologic surgery by members and invited guests. Source: UAB News - One

R. Edward Varner, MD, also in the Division of Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, is the current president of SGS and will hand this position to Dr. Richter in 2012. Dr. Varner was nominated for the UAB President's Award for Excellence in 2012.

April 2012 - Ronald D. Alvarez, MD, professor and director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at UAB, has been elected the 44th president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) at its annual meeting on women's cancer in Austin, Texas.

SGO is a national medical specialty organization of physicians and allied health care professionals with more than 1,600 members trained in the comprehensive management of women with reproductive tract cancers.

Dr. Alvarez also excels as an instructor at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He has won the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Teaching Award 2011 and was nominated for the UAB President's Award for Excellence in 2012.

Fall/Winter 2011 - The Medical Mission Ecuador (MME) was created 19 years ago. This February, 84 Americans from 13 states—including 18 from Alabama—made the trip. Each year, Brian Gleason, M.D., (Women's Reproductive Heathcare) typically teams up with one of our ObGyn residents to make the trip. Shannon Bryant, M.D. was the resident (chief resident at the time) who accompanied Dr. Gleason to Ecuador. The physicians who volunteer provide patient care for the indigenous people as well as instruction to the medical students of Ecuador. UAB Magazine Media contact: Meg McKinney, 205-975-7253, periodicals@uab.edu

December 2010 - (Press release from Future Science Group) - A new study undertaken in Zambia shows that, using setting-appropriate human resources and technology, morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer among HIV-infected women can be reduced. The study's lead author is Dr. Groesbeck Parham, Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia's Cervical Cancer Prevention Program. The research was published in the December issue of HIV Therapy.

November 2010 - As the U.S. obesity epidemic grows, hospitals must change the way they treat morbidly obese patients. UAB Hospital leads the way by providing specialized beds, rooms, equipment and medical expertise. ABC's "Nightline" recently spent time at UAB to highlight how we address the national problem.

The department's Dr. Debora Kimberlin (MFM), and the Women and Infants Center are both featured in this report.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The National Association For Continence (NAFC) has named the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics its first Center of Excellence: Continence Care.

NAFC's National Centers of Excellence: Continence Care program was established to offer consumers seeking solutions to their bladder and bowel control problems and related pelvic floor dysfunction a reliable, trustworthy means of finding an experienced and credentialed expert. The center of excellence designation is based on evidence of extensive training, clinical experience, resources and patient satisfaction statistics that meet established standards.

"It was a unanimous decision by everyone on the committee," to select UAB's Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics as the inaugural center of excellence, said G. Willy Davila, M.D., chair of the NAFC Center of Excellence Review Committee. "Not only do these clinics have a great reputation, they also show great care to their patients, as made evident from the answers given on the patient satisfaction survey."

UAB physicians Drs. Holly Richter, Robert Holley, Alayne Markland, Patricia Goode and R. Edward Varner are recognized as the healthcare providers for UAB's NAFC Center of Excellence designation. Drs. Jerrod Greer and Kathryn Burgio and nurse practitioners Jeannine McCormick and Lisa Pair, along with others, are part of the care team at these clinics. Media Contact: Jennifer Lollar, 205-934-3888, jpark@uab.edu

August 25, 2010 - A researcher in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center has been selected for the inaugural Ovarian Cancer Academy Award, part of the U.S. Department of Defense funding for cancer research. Assistant Professor Charles Landen, M.D., of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, is one of seven early career investigators chosen for the grant. The award is $1.06 million from the Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research.

Landen works to identify and characterize a subpopulation of ovarian cancer cells that have enhanced ability to survive chemotherapy and cause recurrence. Understanding this class of cells may lead to discoveries of key pathways than can be targeted with novel anti-cancer therapies. Media Contact: Troy Goodman, 205-934-8938, tdgoodman@uab.edu

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in partnership with the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the recipient of the 2009 Roy M. Pitkin Award from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The award recognizes outstanding research published during the preceding year. UAB's honor is for the study "Results from Four Rounds of Ovarian Cancer Screening in a Randomized Trial" published April 2009 in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology by lead author Edward Partridge, M.D., Cancer Center director and president-elect of the American Cancer Society National Board of Directors. The award was announced May 16 during the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' annual meeting in San Francisco.

The study is part of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO trial) and included more than 72,000 women aged 55 to 74. The study looked at a screening regimen that combines ultrasound and a blood test for CA-125, a marker for women's cancer. Media Contact: Troy Goodman, 205-934-8938, tdgoodman@uab.edu

June 16, 2010 - The UAB Department of ObGyn long has served as a referral center for complex gynecologic health care. However, until two summers ago, it had been without the services of a gynecologic team dedicated to children/adolescents for more than 10 years. Kimberly Hoover, M.D. developed the UAB Pediatric/Adolescent Gynecologic Clinic within Children's Hospital. It is one of only two such dedicated children's clinics in the Birmingham area and positions UAB and Children's Hospital as leaders in diagnosis and treatment of pediatric/adolescent gynecologic disorders. The once-a-week, half-day clinic is open Wednesdays and provides inpatient/outpatient care for pediatric/adolescent gynecology from birth until age 19. Dr. Hoover says, "We're currently in discussion to open up an afternoon clinic. We're hopeful we're going to be able to get some-thing done soon so we can have an afternoon clinic to better serve those that are in school during the day."

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The new University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Women & Infants Center opened to patients Sunday, Feb. 21, and five babies were born before midnight in the new building. One of those five babies, La'Isaac Smith, was selected in a random drawing to receive a full, undergraduate tuition scholarship to UAB from the UAB Health System to commemorate his being among the first births in the new Women & Infants Center on its first day of operations.

Nearly a decade of planning and construction culminated Feb. 21 when approximately 150 patients moved into the new 430,000-square-foot UAB Women & Infants Center. The well-planned and rehearsed move went flawlessly, with the final patient arriving safely in the new building more than three hours ahead of schedule. The new center offers the full spectrum of women's services, including routine maternity care, high-risk obstetrics, gynecology, urogynecology, reproductive endocrinology and infertility services and the only gynecological oncology program in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi affiliated with a National Institutes of Health-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The $164 million Women & Infants Center represents UAB's commitment to improving the health and lives of the women and infants of its state and region. The patient and family-center facility is designed to feel more like a first-class hotel than a hospital while offering state-of-the art technology, including Alabama's only supratertiary NICU, the most modern C-section and post-anesthesia recovery suites, state-of-the-art patient-care rooms and technologically advanced communication and security systems. UAB also is the only Alabama women's center providing 24/7 access to in-house neonatology and high risk obstetrics physicians every day of the year. Media Contact: Jennifer Lollar, 205-934-3888, jpark@uab.edu